What happens if tarantula eats substrate?

[8rhz4s6jvb]

I have a gbb sling and I fed it a mealworm and it has web with coconut fiber stuck all over it. I am wondering if anything will happen if it accidentally ate some of the fiber. I am a beginner and I know this is a dumb question but I hear a lot of horror stories of sucking stomach issues and fecal impaction and wonder if that is the cause of it.

 

[chanda]

Tarantulas can't eat substrate. They only consume the liquefied insides of their prey, not the solid bits. They have the wrong kind of mouthparts for eating solid food. Any substrate that might be stuck to the outside of the mealworm will be discarded - along with the mangled "shell" of the mealworm.

 

[Hoxter]

Nothing to worry about. Your tarantula will web it together with remains of prey item and drop somewhere after its done eating.

 

[8rhz4s6jvb]

Okay thanks. I can't help but be a little paranoid

 

[Vanisher]

Tarantulas can't eat substrate. They only consume the liquefied insides of their prey, not the solid bits. They have the wrong kind of mouthparts for eating solid food. Any substrate that might be stuck to the outside of the mealworm will be discarded - along with the mangled "shell" of the mealworm.

This!

 

[T Lurksalot]

It’s not just T’s either, all spiders have really neat filter hairs and other structures on the maxillae and rostrum to prevent accidental ingestion of solids. If they couldn’t handle a bit of dirt on prey they wouldn’t last long in the wild, don’t worry they’re well built for what they do

 

[MintyWood826]

It would become part of the bolus, and I don't think they have enzymes that would allow them to eat the sub in the first place.